ARL - Rethinking Packaging

Australian Curriculum content descriptions:

Year 5 & 6 Design and Technologies:

• Generate, develop and communicate design ideas and processes for audiences using appropriate technical terms and graphical representation techniques (ACTDEP025)
• Negotiate criteria for success that include sustainability to evaluate design ideas, processes and solutions (ACTDEP027)
• Develop project plans that include consideration of resources when making designed solutions individually and collaboratively (ACTDEP028)

Year 5 Science:

• Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE100)

Year 6 Science:

• Scientific knowledge is used to solve problems and inform personal and community decisions (ACSHE083)

Syllabus outcomes: ST3-5WT,  ST3-7PW

General capabilities: Literacy, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Capability, Critical and Creative Thinking, Personal and Social Capability, Ethical Understanding 

Cross-curriculum priority: Sustainability

Relevant parts of Year 5 & 6 Design and Technologies achievement standards: Students describe competing considerations in the design of products, services and environments, taking into account sustainability. They describe how design and technologies contribute to meeting present and future needs. Students explain how the features of technologies impact on designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts. Students create designed solutions for each of the prescribed technologies contexts suitable for identified needs or opportunities. They suggest criteria for success, including sustainability considerations, and use these to evaluate their ideas and designed solutions. They combine design ideas and communicate these to audiences using graphical representation techniques and technical terms. Students record project plans including production processes. They select and use appropriate technologies and techniques correctly and safely to produce designed solutions.

Relevant parts of Year 5 Science achievement standards: Students discuss how scientific developments have affected people’s lives, help us solve problems and how science knowledge develops from many people’s contributions.

Relevant parts of Year 6 Science achievement standards: Students explain how scientific knowledge helps us to solve problems and inform decisions and identify historical contributions

This lesson is part of the wider unit of work Australasian Recycling Label

Time required: 60 mins

Level of teacher scaffolding: High – students will require support in discussing concepts of recyclable packaging and significant scaffolding when attempting to redesign a piece of packaging

• A range of packaging that vary in colour, weight, shape and texture. These could include a small plastic tub, a plastic bottle, a milk carton, a paper bag, etc. Make sure all items are clean and sharp edges are covered with masking tape. 
• A device capable of presenting a video to the class
• Individual devices capable of accessing the internet – one per student
• The PREP fact sheet (https://recyclingnearyou.com.au/documents/doc-1977-prep-fact-sheet.pdf)

This lesson is designed to build students’ competencies in the following skills:

• Communication
• Creativity
• Critical thinking
• Digital literacy
• Enterprise
• Ethical understanding
• Global citizenship
• Initiative
• Problem solving
• Social skills
• Collaboration

This lesson has been developed as part of Planet Ark’s campaign around the Australasian Recycling Label and sustainable packaging. You can get involved during Planet Ark’s National Recycling Week or at any time during the school year and join thousands of amazing teachers in making a difference and creating positive environmental change. If you use any of these lessons, we highly recommend you submit an entry for the School’s Recycle Right Challenge in Term 4 and enter in the draw to win amazing prizes for your school!